Athletic footwear tread cradle

ABSTRACT

Tread cradles for covering a sole of an article of footwear having at least one cleat are described, the tread cradles comprising bases having first and second sides, treads disposed on the first side of the bases, and disposed on the second side of the base, means for reversibly securing the cleat to the base, thereby removably attaching the article of footwear to the tread cradle. Covering the sole prevents mud, grass, and other debris from sloughing off, protects the sole from abrasive surfaces, such as concrete and asphalt, protects flooring surfaces, and may cushion the article of footwear for greater user comfort.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional ApplicationNo. 61/923,876 filed Jan. 6, 2014, which is incorporated by reference inits entirety.

BACKGROUND

Certain types of athletic footwear, particularly those with aggressivetread, such as soccer cleats and football cleats, tend to collect mud,grass, and other debris. If subsequently worn indoors, the mud, grass,and other debris slough off, leaving waffle-like clumps. Moreover,abrasive surfaces such as concrete and asphalt quickly wear down theaggressive tread, reducing their efficacy and eventually requiringreplacement of the entire footwear article. Conversely, aggressive treadcan damage or disfigure flooring surfaces, leading to scuffs, scratches,or digs.

While these foregoing problems can be avoided by only wearing thefootwear article on the field of play, in practice, this is usuallyinconvenient and at times impossible, such as for last minute fieldchanges or other overlapping scheduling. Accordingly, what is needed isa device to prevent previously collected mud, grass, and other debris inthe tread of athletic footwear from sloughing off while a user moves,and to protect the tread from contact with abrasive surfaces.

SUMMARY

Tread cradles for covering a sole of an article of footwear having atleast one cleat are described, the tread cradles comprising bases havingfirst and second sides, treads disposed on the first side of the bases,and disposed on the second side of the base, means for reversiblysecuring the cleat to the base, thereby removably attaching the articleof footwear to the tread cradle.

Methods for covering a sole of an article of footwear having at leastone cleat are described, the method comprising providing a tread cradlehaving a base and means for reversibly securing the cleat to the base,thereby removably attaching the article of footwear to the tread cradle.

Methods for manufacturing a tread cradle for covering a sole of anarticle of footwear having at least one cleat are described, the methodscomprising determining the position of the at least one cleat on thefootwear, and providing a receptacle on the tread cradle in a positioncorresponding to the position of the at least one cleat on the footwear,the receptacle being capable of reversibly securing the cleat in thereceptacle, thereby removably attaching the article of footwear to thetread cradle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an article of athletic footwear.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an article of athletic footwear with aremoveably attachable tread cradle.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an article of athletic footwear with aremoveable tread cover according to the prior art.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an article of athletic footwear with aremoveable tread cover according to the prior art.

FIGS. 5 a-5 d are bottom plan views of articles of athletic footwear.

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the assembly of FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view through a receptacle.

FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view through an alternative receptacle.

FIG. 9 a is a top plan view of an alternative receptacle.

FIG. 9 b is a cross sectional view through a receptacle of FIG. 9 a.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an alternative removeably attachabletread cradle.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of another alternative removeablyattachable tread cradle.

FIG. 12 is a cross sectional view through a cleat removeably engaged ina receptacle.

FIG. 13 is a cross sectional view through a cleat removeably engaged inyet another receptacle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an article of athletic footwear 100. Thefootwear 100 may be designed for a specific sport, such as for soccer,American football, or baseball. The footwear 100 comprises an upper 102,the upper having a heel region 102 a, a middle region 102 b, and a toeregion 102 c. The upper 102 may be of materials that are man-made ornatural, or a combination thereof. A tongue 104 and laces 106 aredisposed in the upper 102 in order to provide a secure fit for a user'sfoot (not depicted).

The footwear 100 comprises a sole 108 connected to the upper 102. Thesole 108 has cleats 110, which provide an aggressive tread for playingfield surfaces, and may have various patterns, including studs and/orblades, as will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 a-5 d. Thefootwear 100 may have a lining, an insole, and a midsole disposedbetween the upper 102 and the sole 108, although such features are notdepicted for simplicity of illustration.

Turning to FIG. 2, a tread cradle 200 is removeably attached to thefootwear 100 to form an assembly 210. The footwear 100 may be aconventional athletic shoe, or, alternatively, it may be an athleticshoe specially adapted to cooperate with the tread cradle 200 and soldtogether as an assembly 210 or a kit.

“Removeably attached” means that the tread cradle 200 and footwear 100engage in a manner that is reversibly secure, in other words, capable ofbeing repeatedly attached, separated, and reattached without undueeffort or damage. Consistent with the understanding of those skilled inthe art, removeably attached refers to being attached, separated, andreattached by the user of the footwear, and is not intended to belimited to steps taken during manufacture. The tread cradle 200 hasmeans (not depicted in FIG. 2) to engage the cleats 110 in a manner thatallows the tread cradle to be removeably attached to the footwear 100.

The tread cradle 200 comprises a base 212. The base 212 may comprisepolymer foams, ethylene and vinyl acetate (EVA), or polyurethane, or acombination thereof. The base 212 may provide support, usedinterchangeably herein with cushioning, such that the cushioningprovided by the combination of the tread cradle 200 and footwear 100 isgreater than the cushioning provided by the footwear by itself. As such,this may be advantageous for athletes recovering from injury who requiremore cushioning during, for example, warm-ups, but who wish to be readyfor play without having to change footwear. In yet another example, thebase may provide the ability to convert the footwear from use on onesurface to another (e.g., grass turf to artificial turf, grass turf tocourt) or from a sport specific tread to another sport specific tread(e.g., soccer to futsal, soccer to tennis, or soccer to basketball).

Sidewalls 214 extend relatively upward from the base 212. The sidewall214 has an area 214 a that may comprise information, indicia of origin,decorative features, or structural features. Examples of informationand/or indicia of origin include trademarks, logos, sport-specificrepresentations (such as of a soccer ball), or a number (such as a shoesize). Examples of decorative and/or structural features includesprings, viewing windows, and bladders.

Treads 216 extend relatively downward from the base 212. The treads 216may comprise blown rubber or carbon rubber, or a combination thereof.The treads 216 may be solid, patterned, grooved, or otherwise adapted toconfer fraction comparable to that provided by a running shoe. The treadcradle 200 may be designed to look like the midsole and outsole of arunning shoe.

Referring to FIG. 3, in the prior art, a previous method for preventingcollected mud, grass, and other debris (not depicted) from sloughingfrom the tread of athletic footwear 300 employed a cover 302 thatresembled clogs or galoshes. The cover 302 engages the perimeter of thefootwear 300 to remain in place.

Referring to FIG. 4, in the prior art, a previous method for preventingcollected mud, grass, and other debris (not depicted) from sloughingfrom the tread of athletic footwear 400 employs a cover 402 thatresembles a hospital shoe cover. The cover 402 engages the perimeter ofthe footwear 400 to remain in place.

As mentioned with respect to FIG. 2, the tread cradle 200 has means toengage the cleats 110 in a manner that allows the tread cradle to beremoveably attached to the footwear 100. Such an approach is morecomplex than simple perimeter engagement discussed above. For example,turning to FIGS. 5 a-5 d, bottom plan views of articles of athleticfootwear 500 a, 500 b, 500 c, 500 d illustrate that athletic footwearcleats may comprise large studs 510, small studs 520 (also known asnubs), blades 530, or a combination of studs and blades. Cleats may bemolded integral to the footwear, or replaceable, such as by beingengaged by threaded interaction (e.g., screwed in). As will bediscussed, cleat engagement may be advantageously achieved by thepresent tread cradles by employing mirror image engagement (FIG. 6),reference point engagement (FIG. 10), or key engagement (FIG. 11).

Referring now to FIG. 6, an exploded perspective view of an assemblysubstantially similar to the assembly 210 of FIG. 2, and using the samereference numerals, is illustrated. The footwear 100, with upper 102,tongue 104, laces 106, sole 108, and cleats 110, removeably attaches tothe tread cradle 200. A receptacle 630 extends relatively upward fromthe base 212 of the tread cradle 200. The receptacle 630 engages thecleat 110 in a manner that is reversibly secure. As mentioned above, thefootwear 100 may have various patterns, including studs and/or blades,as described with reference to FIGS. 5 a-5 d. As illustrated in FIG. 6,the number and position of receptacles 630 may correspond to the numberand position of cleats 110 in substantially a mirror image. Also asillustrated in FIG. 6, the cleats 110 are the large stud type. However,it will be appreciated that the embodiments described herein usingreceptacles 630 adapted to large stud cleats can be modified toaccommodate a variety of patterns and cleat types.

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view through a receptacle 730, which may bean example of a receptacle 630 (FIG. 6). The receptacle 730 extends froma base 712 of the tread cradle (not depicted). The receptacle 730comprises walls 732 defining an opening 734. A lip 736 is disposedadjacent to the opening 734. The lip 736 may be deformable andsufficiently elastic to allow a cleat (not depicted) to pass through theopening 734. The lip 736 may stretch to surround the cleat (notdepicted), thereby reversibly securing the cleat, and hence its attachedfootwear (not depicted), to the tread cradle (not depicted).

The walls 732 further define a receptacle floor 738. The receptaclefloor 738 may be the same material as the base 712. The receptacle floor738 may contribute no additional thickness to the base 712, or thereceptacle floor may make the base thicker (such as for additionalcushioning), or the receptacle floor may retain an EVA insert (notdepicted) for additional cushioning beyond that provided by the base.Although not depicted, the receptacle floor 738 may be bored out, makingthe base 712 thinner, for a lower overall tread cradle profile. Thereceptacle floor 738 may be treated, for example with apressure-sensitive adhesive, to help retain the cleat. It is understoodthat throughout this specification, “pressure-sensitive adhesive” isunderstood to be a composition for increasing the tack of coatedsurfaces, but not to permanently bond them.

FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view through a receptacle 830, which may bean example of a receptacle 630 (FIG. 6). The receptacle 830 extends froma base 812 of the tread cradle (not depicted). The receptacle 830comprises walls 832 defining an opening 834. A lip 836 is disposedadjacent to the opening 834. The lip 836 may be deformable andsufficiently elastic to allow a cleat (not depicted) to pass through theopening 834. The lip 836 may stretch to surround the cleat (notdepicted), thereby reversibly securing the cleat, and hence its attachedfootwear (not depicted), to the tread cradle (not depicted).

The walls 832 further define a receptacle floor 838. The receptaclefloor 838 may be the same material as the base 812. The receptacle floor838 may contribute no additional thickness to the base 812, or thereceptacle floor may make the base thicker (such as for additionalcushioning), or the receptacle floor may retain an EVA insert (notdepicted) for additional cushioning beyond that provided by the base.Although not depicted, the receptacle floor 838 may be bored out, makingthe base 812 thinner, for a lower overall tread cradle profile. Thereceptacle floor 838 may be treated, for example with apressure-sensitive adhesive, to help retain the cleat.

A rib 840 extends from the wall 832 below the lip 836. The rib 840 issufficiently elastic to allow a cleat (not depicted) to pass by, and therib may stretch to surround the cleat, in addition to the lip 836,thereby reversibly securing the cleat, and hence its attached footwear(not depicted), to the tread cradle (not depicted).

FIGS. 9 a & 9 b illustrate a receptacle 930, which may be an example ofa receptacle 630 (FIG. 6). The receptacle 930 extends from a base 912 ofthe tread cradle (not depicted). The receptacle 930 comprises walls 932defining an opening 934. The walls 932 further define a receptacle floor938. The receptacle floor 938 may be the same material as the base 912.The receptacle floor 938 may contribute no additional thickness to thebase 912, or the receptacle floor may make the base thicker (such as foradditional cushioning), or the receptacle floor may retain an EVA insert(not depicted) for additional cushioning beyond that provided by thebase. Although not depicted, the receptacle floor 938 may be bored out,making the base 912 thinner, for a lower overall tread cradle profile.The receptacle floor 938 may be treated, for example with apressure-sensitive adhesive, to help retain the cleat.

A plurality of splines 950 extend radially from the wall 932. Thesplines 950 may be deformable and sufficiently elastic to allow a cleat(not depicted) passing through the opening 934 to bend the splinesaround the cleat, thereby reversibly securing the cleat, and hence itsattached footwear (not depicted), to the tread cradle (not depicted).The splines 950 may be treated, for example with a pressure-sensitiveadhesive, to help retain the cleat.

Turning to FIG. 10, an alternative tread cradle 1000 is illustrated. Thetread cradle 1000 comprises a base 1012. The base 1012 may comprisepolymer foams, ethylene and vinyl acetate (EVA), or polyurethane, or acombination thereof. The base 1012 may provide cushioning, such that thecushioning provided by the combination of the tread cradle 1000 andfootwear (not depicted) is greater than the cushioning provided by thefootwear by itself. As such, this may be advantageous for athletesrecovering from injury who require more cushioning during, for example,warm-ups, but who wish to be ready for play without having to changefootwear.

The base 1012 may have a zone 1012 a. The zone 1012 a may be of memoryfoam, EVA, or combination thereof. The zone 1012 a may be treated withpressure-sensitive adhesive. The zone 1012 a may provide additionalreversible securing, such as by impressions in memory foam or thepressure-sensitive adhesive. The zone 1012 a may provide additionalcushioning, so that the tread cradle 1000 may be used for long runs.

Sidewalls 1014 extend relatively upward from the base 1012. The sidewall1014 has an area 1014 a that may comprise information, indicia oforigin, decorative features, or structural features. Examples ofinformation and/or indicia of origin include trademarks, logos,sport-specific representations (such as of a soccer ball), or a number(such as a shoe size). Examples of decorative and/or structural featuresinclude springs, viewing windows, and bladders.

Treads 1016 extend relatively downward from the base 1012. The treads1016 may comprise blown rubber or carbon rubber, or a combinationthereof. The treads 1016 may be solid, patterned, grooved, or otherwiseadapted to confer fraction comparable to that provided by a runningshoe. The tread cradle 1000 may be designed to look like the midsole andoutsole of a running shoe.

A receptacle 1030 extends relatively upward from the base 1012 of thetread cradle 1000. The receptacle 1030 engages the cleat (not depicted)in a manner that is reversibly secure. As mentioned above, the footwearmay have various patterns, including studs and/or blades, as describedwith reference to FIGS. 5 a-5 d. The tread cradle 1000 need not havesubstantially a mirror image correlation between the number and positionof receptacles and the number and position of cleats. Rather, the numberand position of receptacles 1030 correspond to a subset of referencecleats in preselected positions, allowing the receptacles to engage thereference cleat (not depicted) in a manner that is reversibly secure.Cleats that do not have corresponding receptacles interact with the zone1012 a. The reference cleats may be pre-selected based on moldcontinuities among certain brands, or mold continuities among certainsizes, or mold continuities due to process standardization. For example,in FIG. 10, the reference cleats are in the toe and heel regions.

Turning to FIG. 11, an alternative tread cradle 1100 is illustrated. Thetread cradle 1100 comprises a base 1112. The base 1112 may comprisepolymer foams, ethylene and vinyl acetate (EVA), or polyurethane, or acombination thereof. The base 1112 may provide cushioning, such that thecushioning provided by the combination of the tread cradle 1100 andfootwear (not depicted) is greater than the cushioning provided by thefootwear by itself. As such, this may be advantageous for athletesrecovering from injury who require more cushioning during, for example,warm-ups, but who wish to be ready for play without having to changefootwear.

The base 1112 may have a zone 1112 a. The zone 1112 a may be of memoryfoam, EVA, or combination thereof. The zone 1112 a may be treated withpressure-sensitive adhesive. The zone 1112 a may provide additionalreversible securing, such as by impressions in memory foam or thepressure-sensitive adhesive. The zone 1112 a may provide additionalcushioning, so that the tread cradle 1100 may be used for long runs.

Sidewalls 1114 extend relatively upward from the base 1112. The sidewall1114 has an area 1114 a that may comprise information, indicia oforigin, decorative features, or structural features. Examples ofinformation and/or indicia of origin include trademarks, logos,sport-specific representations (such as of a soccer ball), or a number(such as a shoe size). Examples of decorative and/or structural featuresinclude springs, viewing windows, and bladders.

Treads 1116 extend relatively downward from the base 1112. The treads1116 may comprise blown rubber or carbon rubber, or a combinationthereof. The treads 1116 may be solid, patterned, grooved, or otherwiseadapted to confer fraction comparable to that provided by a runningshoe. The tread cradle 1100 may be designed to look like the midsole andoutsole of a running shoe.

A receptacle 1130 extends relatively upward from the base 1112 of thetread cradle 1100. The receptacle 1130 engages the cleat (not depicted)in a manner that is reversibly secure. As mentioned above, the footwearmay have various patterns, including studs and/or blades, as describedwith reference to FIGS. 5 a-5 d. The tread cradle 1100 need not havesubstantially a mirror image correlation between the number and positionof receptacles and the number and position of cleats. Rather, the numberand position of the receptacle 1130 corresponds to a key cleat in apreselected position, allowing the receptacle to engage the key cleat(not depicted) in a manner that is reversibly secure. Cleats that do nothave corresponding receptacles interact with the zone 1112 a. The keycleat may be pre-selected based on mold continuities among certainbrands, or mold continuities among certain sizes, or mold continuitiesdue to process standardization. For example, in FIG. 10, the key cleatis in the metatarsal region. Though not depicted, in footwear systemswith replaceable cleats, the key cleat may be a specially adapted cleatthat may be screwed in to provide a secure interaction with thereceptacle, such as by a ball and detent engagement between the cleatand receptacle.

In operation, a tread cradle and footwear are removeably attachedthrough a removably secure interaction between a cleat and a receptacle.Referring now to FIG. 12, a cleat 1210 of athletic footwear (notdepicted) having a wear region 1210 a of abrasion resistant material isinserted into a receptacle 1230, which extends from a base 1212 of atread cradle (not depicted, but similar to that depicted in FIG. 6, orin FIG. 10, or in FIG. 11). The receptacle 1230 comprises walls 1232defining an opening 1234.

A lip 1236 is disposed adjacent to the opening 1234. The lip 1236 isdeformable and sufficiently elastic to allow the cleat 1210 to passthrough the opening 1234. The lip 1236 may stretch to surround thecleat, thereby reversibly securing the cleat, and hence its attachedfootwear (not depicted), to the tread cradle (not depicted).

The walls 1232 further define a receptacle floor 1238. The receptaclefloor 1238 may be the same material as the base 1212. The receptaclefloor 1238 may contribute no additional thickness to the base 1212, orthe receptacle floor may make the base thicker (such as for additionalcushioning), or the receptacle floor may retain an EVA insert (notdepicted) for additional cushioning beyond that provided by the base.Although not depicted, the receptacle floor 1238 may be bored out,making the base 1212 thinner, for a lower overall tread cradle profile.The receptacle floor 1238 may be treated, for example with apressure-sensitive adhesive, to help retain the cleat 1210. As depicted,there is a small gap between the receptacle floor 1238 and the cleat1210, such that if the walls 1232 are shaped to fit tightly with thecleat, and the cleat forced into the cradle by the weight of a user, avacuum may develop in the gap, and thus suction forces may help toreversibly secure the cleat in the receptacle in addition to frictionforces.

Referring now to FIG. 13, a cleat 1310 of athletic footwear (notdepicted) having a wear region 1310 a of abrasion resistant material isinserted into an alternative tread cradle (not depicted, but similar tothat depicted in FIG. 6, except that this embodiment lacksuniquely-shaped receptacles, and thus may be used with a variety ofcleat patterns and sizes). The tread cradle comprises a base 1312,sidewalls (not depicted, but similar to those of FIG. 6), and treads(not depicted, but similar to those of FIG. 6). The base 1312 maycomprise polymer foams, ethylene and vinyl acetate (EVA), orpolyurethane, or a combination thereof. A plurality of rods 1360 extendrelatively upwards from the base 1312. The rods 1360 are depicted asevenly spaced, however, alternatively, the rods may be concentrated inareas corresponding to positions where cleats are traditionally found.The rods 1360 may be the same material as the base 1312. The rods 1360engage the cleat 1310 in a frictional fit according to the stiffness ofthe rods and their surface composition, thus reversibly securing thecleat. The rods 1360 may be treated, for example with apressure-sensitive adhesive, to help secure the cleat 1310.Additionally, the rods 1360 that are bent under the cleat 1310 maycontribute additional cushioning.

Although not depicted, in footwear systems with replaceable cleats, thecleats may all be removed before engagement with the receptacle, therebyallowing a smaller gap between the footwear and the receptacle and/or toallow minor features become relatively more prominent once the cleatsare removed. For example, a key feature (similar to that described inFIG. 11) may be provided on the footwear that is relatively shorter thanthe replaceable cleats, but still sufficiently long to engage thereceptacle and secure the base once the replaceable cleats are removed.

Yet another tread cradle is contemplated (not depicted). This treadcradle may use any, or a combination, of the foregoing methods forengaging the cleats. However, once removed from the footwear, the treadcradle may be used as a shinguard. The receptacles or rods may beminimized to prevent discomfort to the user, while the treads would benonaggressive patterns consistent with the exterior surfaces of aconventional shinguard.

1. A tread cradle for covering a sole of an article of footwear havingat least one cleat, the tread cradle comprising: a base having first andsecond sides; treads disposed on the first side of the base; anddisposed on the second side of the base, means for reversibly securingthe cleat to the base, thereby removably attaching the article offootwear to the tread cradle.
 2. The tread cradle of claim 1, whereinthe means for reversibly securing the cleat to the base is a receptaclehaving walls that engage the cleat.
 3. The tread cradle of claim 2,wherein the walls of the receptacle define an opening for receiving thecleat.
 4. The tread cradle of claim 3, wherein a lip is disposedadjacent to the opening for receiving the cleat.
 5. The tread cradle ofclaim 4, wherein the lip is elastic and deformable.
 6. The tread cradleof claim 3, wherein a rib is disposed adjacent to the opening forreceiving the cleat.
 7. The tread cradle of claim 4, wherein a rib isdisposed adjacent to the opening for receiving the cleat.
 8. The treadcradle of claim 3, wherein a plurality of splines extend radially fromthe walls, projecting into the opening for receiving the cleat.
 9. Thetread cradle of claim 3, wherein the walls frictionally engage thecleat.
 10. The tread cradle of claim 4, wherein the lip frictionallyengages the cleat.
 11. The tread cradle of claim 6, wherein the ribfrictionally engages the cleat.
 12. The tread cradle of claim 8, whereinthe splines frictionally engage the cleat.
 13. The tread cradle of claim1, wherein the means for reversibly securing the cleat to the base are aplurality of rods that engage the cleat.
 14. The tread cradle of claim13, wherein the rods frictionally engage the cleat.
 15. A method forcovering a sole of an article of footwear having at least one cleat, themethod comprising: providing a tread cradle having a base and means forreversibly securing the cleat to the base, thereby removably attachingthe article of footwear to the tread cradle.
 16. The method of claim 15,further comprising providing the base with a tread pattern that isdifferent from a tread pattern of the article of footwear, therebyadapting the article of footwear to be useful on a different surface.17. The method of claim 15, further comprising providing the treadcradle with a support section.
 18. The method of claim 15, furthercomprising providing the tread cradle with a pressure sensitive adhesivesection.
 19. The method of claim 15, further comprising providing thetread cradle with features to facilitate use of the tread cradle as ashin guard when not attached to the footwear.
 20. A method formanufacturing a tread cradle for covering a sole of an article offootwear having at least one cleat, comprising: determining the positionof the at least one cleat on the footwear, and providing a receptacle onthe tread cradle in a position corresponding to the position of the atleast one cleat on the footwear, the receptacle being capable ofreversibly securing the cleat in the receptacle, thereby removablyattaching the article of footwear to the tread cradle.
 21. The method ofclaim 20, further comprising providing the receptacle with a treadpattern that is different from a tread pattern of the article offootwear, thereby adapting the article of footwear to be useful on adifferent surface.